Printing systems, such as copiers, printers, facsimile devices or other systems, may be capable of reproducing content, visual images, graphics, texts, etc. on a page or a media. Some examples of the printing systems may include, but not limited to, thermal printers, inkjet printers, laser printers, and/or the like.
A typical thermal printer includes a thermal print head that has one or more heating elements. These heating elements may be individually or collectively energized to perform the printing operation. Examples of the thermal printers may include thermal transfer printers and direct thermal printers. Typically, in thermal transfer printer, content is printed on the media by heating a coating of a ribbon so that the coating is transferred to the media. It contrasts with the direct thermal printing where no ribbon is present in the process.
Typically, in thermal printers, the media is supplied to the print head by means of one or more spindles or a media hanger. However, due to certain reasons, such as obstruction in the media path, and misalignment of the media, a media jam may occur in the thermal printers. Typically, the thermal printer may detect such media jam based on detection of a gap or a label mark on the media. If the gap or the label mark is not detected within a predetermined time period, a media jam is detected. However, until the predetermined time period expires, the spindle keeps supplying the media, which may lead to a messy jam.
Applicant has identified a number of deficiencies and problems associated with conventional methods for detecting media jam condition. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these identified problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present disclosure, many examples of which are described in detail herein.